Baguio launches sundown HIV clinic amid rising cases

BAGUIO, Philippines – Health officials in Baguio City have opened an after-hours clinic to expand access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing and treatment as cases continue to rise. The clinic is designed to make testing, counseling, and treatment access easier and less intimidating.

The city’s Health Services Office, in partnership with the Department of Health regional office, launched the Sundown Namnama Clinic at the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center on Thursday. The facility operates from 1 pm to 10 pm, Monday to Saturday, offering services at hours aimed at improving access and privacy.

The clinic is the first government-run “sundown clinic” in the Cordillera region and among the first of its kind in the country. It offers HIV counseling and testing, referrals for treatment, reproductive health information, and services to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

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Baguio City Health Officer Celiaflor Brillantes said the clinic marks a shift in how public health services are delivered, noting that similar facilities are usually led by private groups. 

She described the center as a bridge facility, adding that “this is the first government-to-government innovation in the Cordillera,” and that it will serve as a “halfway house for pre-test, counseling, HIV education, and referral for treatment,” among other services.

Health personnel from the city’s Health Services Office and the Department of Health Cordillera office staff the clinic, which also distributes condoms, lubricants and HIV testing kits. It also provides access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that helps prevent HIV infection among high-risk individuals.

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The Department of Health in the Cordillera Administrative Region said more than half of all HIV cases in the region have been recorded in Baguio City.

Data from the Health Services Office’s Reproductive Health and Wellness Clinic show that since 1984, the city has logged 756 HIV cases, with 260 people currently undergoing treatment.

DOH regional program manager Darwin Babon said tackling HIV goes beyond the health sector, pointing to the role of policies, governance and community involvement, particularly in addressing stigma faced by people living with HIV. He said the problem would require a broader, society-wide effort.

Baguio currently has four HIV treatment hubs, including the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center, Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital, and the HSO’s own clinic, now complemented by a space designed to meet people where they are, both in time and in circumstance.

Dr. Brillantes credited the city government under Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the City Council’s health committee chaired by Councilor Elmer Datuin, and DOH-CAR for supporting the initiative. – Rappler.com